New citizenship form UKF

[Yanni]

I'm so thrilled to have found fellow UKF citizenship applicants! I'm applying from the UK, and they received my application on the 29th of July. So fingerscrossed.

Finally someone in the UK like myself.

[Antsmall]

Here is my UKF timeline and whatever information might possibly be relevant (honestly, who knows what parameters affect the speed of processing).

Applying under section: 4I (ceremony fee only).
Using a solicitor etc: No.
Mother's nationality: Italian.
Father's nationality status: born in Britain of two British parents.
Applying from (resident in): USA.
Application sent off: 20 May 2015 (sent by FedEx).
Application arrived: 26 May (based on FedEx tracking information).
Ceremony fee deducted: 13 July (as I just found out yesterday when my bank statement arrived).
Email acknowledgement received: 14 July.
Reference number: None so far.

That's all the news I have so far: so it's been approximately two and a half months by now since I sent off my application.

I'm aware of one person (who isn't on this forum, I think) who got their email acknowledgement within THREE WEEKS and their citizenship within three months. They were applying from within Britain, which seems to make everything easier and swifter. They did report spelling errors (in their name or place of birth or something) and a bit of back-and-forth to rectify that.

Yanni, did you say that you completed the biometric procedure? How was it - what kind of documents do they ask for? Did you have to go through that sketchy VFS Global website which seems rather buggy?

Other people going through the biometric thing - has anyone spoken to the VFS people and pointed out the bugs in the website? Any information about this biometric business, particularly the removal of technical and other issues which will hinder us, will be much appreciated: after all this waiting we don't want to be stopped in our tracks by a silly web design problem!

Good luck to us all and thanks for any info.

[bfrenchfry]

Thanks for posting that antsmall!

I think only me and paul29 are the only early applicants (I'm April 29th, he's the 27th). Unless he finally got something we're both waiting for them to even deduct the ceremony fee.

I finally got a second email yesterday from FurtherNationalityEnquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk saying only:

"Your email has been forwarded to the relevant department where appropriate action will be taken."

Maybe they're finally checking for my application which I fear they have lost. The last email from them was some inane stock response saying they're behind and to allow an additional 2 weeks for processing (that was a month ago). I've been turning down so much work abroad that I really just want them to say yes they have my passport and yes they're working on my application so it's not all for nothing.

[Antsmall]

It's deeply bizarre as well as unfair that you guys applied before any of us and have yet to hear anything at all. I wonder if there's a mechanism of some type at play: for example, early on they were still confused by these newfangled mysterious UKF applications, or there was this application rush that some people have been mentioning (before some fee or other got increased?) and therefore more chaos occurred in April?

To a large extent, being physically in Britain seems to help. If I understand correctly, both April applicants are abroad, yes? (As am I).

Let's all keep each other updated. Also, any information regarding the biometric business would be most appreciated. Good luck to all.

[Yanni]

Bam in the UK so I just went to a post office which are all equipped with biometrics photo booths.

[Antsmall]

Thanks. Which documents did they want to see? Did they rabidly insist on a valid foreign passport or were other forms of identification (e.g. a driving licence or whatever) acceptable?

[Yanni]

The letter comes with a bar code that they just scan. Didn't need anything else.

[Antsmall]

Ooh! That sounds nice. I hope it's the same for us overseas people.

[Yanni]

Done it just over a month now.

[g_barrie_g]

VFS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM NOT WORKING

I have reached VFS contact center and told them about their appointment system, and they gave me another number to call because they do not handle concerns about Overseas Citizenship applicants. So I called the number and again told them the problem. And again they told me they do not handle Overseas Applicants and rather gave me the email address that was on my Biometric Reference Letter because they are the right people/staff that will handle the issue that I was experiencing.

Offcourse before I called those two numbers I did already send an email to the NationalityBiometricsOverseas@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk about the appointment system. I have called them because I want them to know the urgency of my issue. As it was stated on the letter, they will reply within 20 days. But that is a problem because I just received my letter on 31 july and was dated 14 july and I have just 30 days to confirm an appointment from the date of the letter and enroll my biometrics. But the vfs appointment system is not working!!!

I emailed them on 3 aug and until now no reply.

[Antsmall]

Aha. That kind of nonsense is just what I was imagining. They are obsessed with automating everything but they're incompetent at it and the only humans you can ever talk to are the ones that can only say 'computer says no'. This massive ambitious mechanism is entirely scuppered by something as prosaic as a poorly constructed website made by someone who was good at passing job interviews by 'having dominant body language' and appearing 'confident' but wasn't selected for actual ability to perform the necessary tasks.

Best of luck, and we're all on tenterhooks waiting to hear what happens (at least I am). If they have any humanity at all they won't punish you for their own stupidity, especially after making you go through so much. Good luck, good luck, good luck. All fingers, toes, eyes and kidneys crossed.

[Antsmall]

Meanwhile, the only thing I (a humanities person without computer training) can suggest is that you try the VFS nonsense with as many browsers (and versions) as you can get your hands on. You may, of course, have already done so! Best of luck to you.

The British consulate where I am, by the way, makes it impossible to set appointments. There's no email address, the phone number only gives you recorded messages telling you to go to the website, they won't let you in the building without an appointment letter, and the appointment system shows all appointments 'unavailable' for at least the next three years, which is probably another glitch by the 'assertive' people who made their website. This is just more of the same nonsense.

Again, good luck to you and all of us.

[paul29]

VFS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM NOT WORKING

I have reached VFS contact center and told them about their appointment system, and they gave me another number to call because they do not handle concerns about Overseas Citizenship applicants. So I called the number and again told them the problem. And again they told me they do not handle Overseas Applicants and rather gave me the email address that was on my Biometric Reference Letter because they are the right people/staff that will handle the issue that I was experiencing.

Offcourse before I called those two numbers I did already send an email to the NationalityBiometricsOverseas@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk about the appointment system. I have called them because I want them to know the urgency of my issue. As it was stated on the letter, they will reply within 20 days. But that is a problem because I just received my letter on 31 july and was dated 14 july and I have just 30 days to confirm an appointment from the date of the letter and enroll my biometrics. But the vfs appointment system is not working!!!

I emailed them on 3 aug and until now no reply.

Try it again today.

I tried to book an appointment through Thailand VFS on Friday and encountered the same problem so I emailed a VFS email address that somebody had previously helped me with something else from and was very surprised to get a reply shortly after saying sorry there has been a problem with the appointment system but the dates should now be appearing.

I checked and they were and I booked an appointment without further problem.

I appreciate that my problem was with a different country to yours but it's very possible that the individual country's appointment systems run off the same back end so your problem may also now be fixed. Any way good luck.

[bfrenchfry]

Paul29 does that mean you finally got something from UKVI? Did they take your fee and send you info for biometrics? I still haven't heard anything and they haven't deducted my money and you were the only one I knew waiting as long

[paul29]

Paul29 does that mean you finally got something from UKVI? Did they take your fee and send you info for biometrics? I still haven't heard anything and they haven't deducted my money and you were the only one I knew waiting as long

Yes, I received the letter Friday afternoon, and I went with my daughter to do the biometrics today so as not to cause any unnecessary delays my end.

Easy process once you get past the calendar issue. VFS are very well organized in this part. Now we are back to waiting again and I am not expecting it to be a short wait because just during the 30 minutes or so that we were in the office they must have processed upwards of 20 or 30 biometrics and I couldn't guess what the daily total must be and this is just Thailand. Of course most of them looked to be biometrics for Visa applicants, but my guess is that they will probably all end up on the same desks in the Biometrics department of the Home Office so that can't help the processing backlog and we will all just have to stay patient. For my daughter, the end result will be worth it however long it takes.

Anyway, it does feel like great progress and even though we are still in the dark, I am pretty sure that we have taken a step in a forward direction.

[bfrenchfry]

Paul29 does that mean you finally got something from UKVI? Did they take your fee and send you info for biometrics? I still haven't heard anything and they haven't deducted my money and you were the only one I knew waiting as long

Yes, I received the letter Friday afternoon, and I went with my daughter to do the biometrics today so as not to cause any unnecessary delays my end.

Easy process once you get past the calendar issue. VFS are very well organized in this part. Now we are back to waiting again and I am not expecting it to be a short wait because just during the 30 minutes or so that we were in the office they must have processed upwards of 20 or 30 biometrics and I couldn't guess what the daily total must be and this is just Thailand. Of course most of them looked to be biometrics for Visa applicants, but my guess is that they will probably all end up on the same desks in the Biometrics department of the Home Office so that can't help the processing backlog and we will all just have to stay patient. For my daughter, the end result will be worth it however long it takes.

Anyway, it does feel like great progress and even though we are still in the dark, I am pretty sure that we have taken a step in a forward direction.

Well that's definitely progress! Good luck to you!!
Now I wish they'd just send me something, or deduct money, or really do anything to show me they're working on my application

[Antsmall]

I hope you don't mind my asking: in what kind of place did they do the biometrics procedure, and what kind of documents did they want to see? Did they merely scan a barcode on the biometrics letter as another person said they did in Britain, or were they more pernickety about seeing documents?

Hoping that GBarrieG can get the appointment sorted out soon and BFrenchFry receives the long-awaited signs of life. As always, good luck to us all.

[paul29]

I hope you don't mind my asking: in what kind of place did they do the biometrics procedure, and what kind of documents did they want to see? Did they merely scan a barcode on the biometrics letter as another person said they did in Britain, or were they more pernickety about seeing documents?

Hoping that GBarrieG can get the appointment sorted out soon and BFrenchFry receives the long-awaited signs of life. As always, good luck to us all.

VFS offices are well organized with number queuing systems and many open desks. I have had other dealings with them and they have always been efficient. The biometrics are taken in little cubicles with the door closed. Takes about 5 minutes and we were in and out in 20 to 30 mins.

The only thing that they require is the Home Office Biometrics letter, the appointment letter from their system that you print off and proof of ID of the person who is giving the biometrics (and if applicable, their accompanying parent if a minor).

These requirements are stated in the letter itself.

[Antsmall]

Thanks very much for the info!

The reason why I'm asking about the documents they want to see is that my passport is expired (it was valid when I sent it off but expired while I was waiting for some kind of reply from them) and I hope they're fine with an American driving licence, which is the most frequently used identification mechanism in the USA (where I live, though I'm not from here). I hope I don't have to renew my passport only for the biometric thing.

Again, thanks for taking the time to post the details: all information is helpful for the pioneering UKF brigade!

[paul29]

Thanks very much for the info!

The reason why I'm asking about the documents they want to see is that my passport is expired (it was valid when I sent it off but expired while I was waiting for some kind of reply from them) and I hope they're fine with an American driving licence, which is the most frequently used identification mechanism in the USA (where I live, though I'm not from here). I hope I don't have to renew my passport only for the biometric thing.

Again, thanks for taking the time to post the details: all information is helpful for the pioneering UKF brigade!

I am no expert, but if I were in your situation, I think that I would try and renew my passport if I had time.

I think that UKF cases have the potential to be complicated enough for whoever has to stamp "approved" on them without making them more complicated. If you submitted a passport from country "x" as proof of your identity originally then it would make sense if at all possible to remain consistent at the biometrics stage. Replacing an expired passport from country "x" with a driving license from country 'y' may well be acceptable but you are introducing another aspect that somebody has to make a decision on.

Remember also, that although those of us contributing here are all making genuine applications that we believe will be successful. Many others will be making speculative applications with little or no merit just because they perceive that a door has been opened with this change in legislation so every detail will be scrutinised.

[lagos1980]

UKF application received 29th July.
Ceremony fee of £80 deducted 11th August.
No email confirmation of receipt of documents yet.

[lagos1980]

I'm in the UK by the way, so might get a letter confirmation instead of an email.

[Yanni]

I'm in the UK by the way, so might get a letter confirmation instead of an email.

In 1-2 weeks you will get your letter to go do biometrics.

[lagos1980]

I'm in the UK by the way, so might get a letter confirmation instead of an email.

In 1-2 weeks you will get your letter to go do biometrics.

Fingers crossed!

[g_barrie_g]

VFS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM NOT WORKING

I have reached VFS contact center and told them about their appointment system, and they gave me another number to call because they do not handle concerns about Overseas Citizenship applicants. So I called the number and again told them the problem. And again they told me they do not handle Overseas Applicants and rather gave me the email address that was on my Biometric Reference Letter because they are the right people/staff that will handle the issue that I was experiencing.

Offcourse before I called those two numbers I did already send an email to the NationalityBiometricsOverseas@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk about the appointment system. I have called them because I want them to know the urgency of my issue. As it was stated on the letter, they will reply within 20 days. But that is a problem because I just received my letter on 31 july and was dated 14 july and I have just 30 days to confirm an appointment from the date of the letter and enroll my biometrics. But the vfs appointment system is not working!!!

I emailed them on 3 aug and until now no reply.

Try it again today.

I tried to book an appointment through Thailand VFS on Friday and encountered the same problem so I emailed a VFS email address that somebody had previously helped me with something else from and was very surprised to get a reply shortly after saying sorry there has been a problem with the appointment system but the dates should now be appearing.

I checked and they were and I booked an appointment without further problem.

I appreciate that my problem was with a different country to yours but it's very possible that the individual country's appointment systems run off the same back end so your problem may also now be fixed. Any way good luck.

@paul29

If it's ok with you I would like to have the email address that have helped you in regards to the faulty appointment system.

I have tried again their system and still not working. I haven't received any reply from the NationalityBiometricsOverseas email address yet.

Thank you...